Washington STEM worked in partnership with our STEM Networks and over 100 community, business, and education leaders to advocate for the support of STEM education. We’re pleased to share that within the operating budget and the McCleary plan are some strong investments supporting STEM education, and we thank the Legislature for investing in Washington students’ success.

As you might know, the Legislature adjourned without passing a capital budget. We continue to advocate for the re-up of a capital investment program to provide students across the state access to STEM classrooms and labs.

Here are some notable updates from the operating budget and K-12 funding plan:

Support for computer science education funding was maintained at a $2 million public investment matched 1:1 with a $2 million private investment level. As computer science is essential for many 21st century jobs, we’re glad the Legislature continues to support professional development, upgraded technology, and innovative efforts to engage underrepresented students and girls in computer science. We particularly thank Representative Drew Hansen for his leadership on this issue.

Washington STEM estimates this funding will provide access for approximately 22 percent of students throughout the state. We’re committed to going back next year to ask the Legislature to invest $6 million matched 1:1 with a $6 million private funds to ensure that 50 percent of Washington students have publically funded computer science education.

While Washington STEM’s other big push, career connected learning, was not funded through the state’s operating budget, our efforts secured $2 million in funding for career connected learning – $1 million federal funds and $1 million through JPMorgan Chase. We’re committed to continuing to work with the Legislature to ensure young people have hands on, real world opportunities that allow them to enter the workforce engaged and prepared.

STEM and CTE received a big bump through McCleary. Career Technical Education (CTE), part of a strong career connected learning continuum, received $191.8 million to reduce class sizes, meaning students will have more focused attention leading to better classroom experiences. Additionally, school districts will have the option to give up to a 10 percent salary over the maximum for educators teaching in STEM fields – a strong recruitment and retention tool for these sometimes hard to fill but crucial opportunities.

In other key areas,

Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (WSOS) was funded at $14.73 million which will allow them to continue to deliver scholarships for Washington students going into STEM and medical fields. We’ll continue to work with WSOS to support scholarships for students going to community college.

We thank the Governor and Washington Legislature for making significant steps forward to support students during a busy year. If you have any questions about Washington STEM’s policy efforts, please contact Jesse Gilliam, Washington’s STEM’s Communications Director.

Source: http://blog.washingtonstem.org]]>Mon, 03 Jul 2017 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.washingtonmesa.org/blog/july-03-2017SPOKANE, Wash. – The Math, Engineering, Science Achievement team from Salk Middle School took third place at the MESA National Engineering Design Competition in Philadelphia, Penn., June 21-22.The team – including Maya Valenciano, Terra Bronson and Meilin Scott – designed and built a prosthetic arm. The team was judged on its technical paper, oral presentation and poster boards.

]]>Tue, 21 Mar 2017 16:27:52 GMThttp://www.washingtonmesa.org/blog/internship-the-office-of-science-us-department-of-energyThe Office of Science / US Department of Energy is pleased to announce paid internship opportunities for undergraduate students majoring in areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The application system for the Term Community College Internships (CCI) program is currently open, with all applications due by 05:00 PM Eastern Time on May 31, 2017.

The Community College Internships (CCI) program places community college students as paid interns in technological activities at DOE national laboratories, working under the supervision of a laboratory technician or researcher. Appointments are for 16 weeks during the Fall term, are open to US Citizens and US Lawful Permanent Residents, include a weekly stipend, reimbursement for one round trip domestic travel to the participant’s host DOE laboratory, and possibilities for a housing allowance. More than 100 internships are sponsored annually.

Application is made online. Full program information and descriptions, including links to the online application system, are available at: http://science.energy.gov/wdts/cci/]]>Mon, 20 Mar 2017 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.washingtonmesa.org/blog/2017-2018-efp-recruitment

As you all know, we are in straight recruitment mode for the 2017-2018 Engineering Fellows Program! Thank you to everyone for the connections and spreading the word J I have attached some updated flyers, as we have extended the application deadline to Friday April 21st, 2017. Please forward to your networks, and let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks everyone J

Erica LaneProgram Operations SpecialistWashington MESA State Office

ENGINEERING FELLOWS is an immersive one-week summer experience followed by classroom implementation and monthly Saturday sessions throughout the school year for selected 5th grade teachers, college students, and professional engineers. Participants will work collaboratively in design teams to develop or adapt NGSS- aligned design challenges for integration with local curriculum throughout the coming academic year. Professional learning will be centered on equitable engineering teaching practices.

]]>Thu, 16 Mar 2017 22:44:33 GMThttp://www.washingtonmesa.org/blog/internship-opportunity-at-microsoft-application-for-young-tech-su17-availableThe application for the summer 2017 Young Technologist seminar is now available! The Young Tech program in O365 is a 6-week seminar hosted on the Microsoft campus for freshman and sophomores in college currently interested or pursuing a degree in technology. Attached below is a program overview, along with the application and instructions for applying.

All applications are due by end of day 3/24/17.

More info here: Flyer & Application]]>Tue, 14 Mar 2017 19:59:19 GMThttp://www.washingtonmesa.org/blog/r-h-thomson-memorial-scholarshipThe R. H. Thomson Memorial Scholarship is an annual scholarship awarded by the Seattle Section each year to honor the accomplishments of R.H. Thomson. The application must be postmarked by April 15th and announcement of the recipient will be made by May 31st. The scholarship in the amount of five-thousand dollars ($5,000) will be awarded for the 2017-2018 school year. The disbursement could be in one year or in four years, depending on the recipients college career schedule. The aim of the scholarship program is to encourage students to pursue a course of study leading to a Bachelor or a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering or one of the specialties within the Civil Engineering discipline. It also strives to honor R. H. Thomson, a civil engineer who had a profound and lasting impact on Seattle's infrastructure.

For more information please read the application.Source: http://www.seattleasce.org/scholarship.php]]>Wed, 08 Mar 2017 08:00:00 GMThttp://www.washingtonmesa.org/blog/mesa-open-house-at-seattle-central-community-college-campusWe are one month away from the MESA program's Open House at Seattle Central Community College. Here is what the tentative agenda looks like.

Brice Kauffman – Independent Research project on Water Waste management

Gerald Davenport – Robotics project

1:30pm-4:00pm: Open House & light refreshments

A website for RSVPs will be announced shortly.

Thank you!Marilyn Saavedra-LeyvaMESA Director | LSAMP LiaisonSACNAS Club Advisor ]]>Thu, 09 Feb 2017 20:42:58 GMThttp://www.washingtonmesa.org/blog/seattle-mesa-day-volunteersIt is that time of the year again: Seattle MESA Day 2017!And we need YOU! Volunteers to help us prepare for, set up, and run our STEM Celebration and Competition.You have either volunteered in the past or signed up to volunteer, we would like to see you at MESA Day again this year.Also, please share this volunteer opportunity with your extended network.

Veronica Rivera signed up for the introduction to computer science class at Harvey Mudd College mostly because she had no choice: It was mandatory. Programming was intimidating and not for her, she thought.

She expected the class to be full of guys who loved video games and grew up obsessing over how they were made. There were plenty of those guys but, to her surprise, she found the class fascinating.